Effect of argon desorption on the heat transfer performance of a fast reactor intermediate heat exchanger

In the liquid sodium cooled fast reactor, the primary coolant exchanges heat with a secondary coolant in the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX). In the reactor vessel an inert cover gas (argon) fills the space above the liquid level and is both dissolved and entrained in the coolant. The primary coolant temperature in the IHX falls from 8480K at inlet to 6930K at outlet and the solution of argon in sodium consequently becomes saturated, after which argon is desorbed. Desorption results in the growth of both existing entrained bubbles and new bubbles nucleated at cavities in the IHX tube wall. The paper examines the operational situation where both processes occur simultaneously, in competition, and affect the heat transfer performance of the IHX